It seems that many people set themselves up for some form of disappointment just days or weeks into the new calendar year.
By ALIYA BENITA LEVINNetanyahu, Rivlin and Gantz holding hands (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions on the first of January, for several reasons. Firstly, it always seems so contrived and superficial – setting a specific date to start something new, when there’s no reason not to start anything afresh on any given Tuesday or on the 5th of any said month. Secondly, I would often hear friends joking just weeks into January about how their personal promises to be healthier, renew one’s expired gym membership or take on that new mixed martial arts class had already fallen by the wayside. (Or in some cases, by the “waist-side”)!It seems that many people set themselves up for some form of disappointment just days or weeks into the new calendar year. As a life coach, I truly believe you don’t need to wait for a specific date to begin a new chapter in your life, no matter whether it’s a personal or professional change. When the time is right, it’s simply right.So it’s with a healthy dose of humor and a wry smile that I often wonder why I feel so differently at the start of the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah. The start of the Jewish year 5780 was marked across the globe this year on the last day of September and the first day of October.The two-day festival involves much food, family, friends who are like family, and more food! As the festivities wrap up, Jewish communities across the globe have 10 days before the holiest day of the year – Yom Kippur, with a fast from sunset to sunset, no food, no drink for 25 hours. Yes, it’s a time of prayer for many. But one doesn’t need to be in a synagogue to appreciate this time of reflection and introspection: a time to pause and think back on the year that has past; a time to process the good, enjoy the successes; a time to mend any broken relationships; a time to think about changes, improvements, being a better person and planning for the future.In this more spiritual and real context, it seems completely fitting and appropriate to set new goals and challenges for the year ahead. It feels that as parents, it’s incumbent on us to guide our children to strive to be better each year.To know they can look back, smile about the good times and personal achievements, think about how things could have been different, and work toward reaching new levels of fulfillment, all while not taking life too seriously, and being able to adapt to changes that we can’t anticipate. All while knowing that one can make a difference, in personal relationships, within one’s community and for the greater good. One small step at a time.Wouldn’t it be nice…As we watch world leaders hitting personal crossroads and impasses in different countries across the globe, I can’t help but wonder how a spiritual time of reflection and the prospect of reconciliation might impact on world leaders. Would it change the political deadlock in Israel right now, as the country brings in the New Year without knowing who will be in charge?Has the short festival “break” given leaders on all sides of the political spectrum time to reflect on what is best for the country? Is there space for compromise? It’s just a thought. What if everyone focused on decisions that weren’t about personal political careers, but were instead about the best future for all people in the country? It’s a question for all of us, not only newsmakers. What if we all took more time to think about the best way forward for the greater community? Making decisions that involve give and take. Wouldn’t that be nice? Now, that’s a New Year’s resolution worth adding to the list!
Related TagssocietySpirituality
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